Archive - Feb 7, 2012 - Article (News Story)

warning: date(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Chicago' for 'CDT/-5.0/DST' instead in /var/www/vhosts/samoanews.com/httpdocs/sites/all/modules/archive/archive.pages.inc on line 298.

warning: date(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Chicago' for 'CDT/-5.0/DST' instead in /var/www/vhosts/samoanews.com/httpdocs/sites/all/modules/archive/archive.pages.inc on line 299.

warning: date(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Chicago' for 'CDT/-5.0/DST' instead in /var/www/vhosts/samoanews.com/httpdocs/sites/all/modules/archive/archive.pages.inc on line 330.

warning: date(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Chicago' for 'CDT/-5.0/DST' instead in /var/www/vhosts/samoanews.com/httpdocs/sites/all/modules/archive/archive.pages.inc on line 331.

warning: date(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Chicago' for 'CDT/-5.0/DST' instead in /var/www/vhosts/samoanews.com/httpdocs/sites/all/modules/archive/archive.pages.inc on line 332.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM would say this: When two prospects from American Samoa are traveling to Washington State for an official recruiting visit it would be prudent to have them fly the leg from Seattle to Pullman. Think of the time being saved, right? Wrong, says Joe Salave'a. Last month, when Robert Barber and Destiny Vaeao tripped to WSU, Salave'a picked them up at Sea-Tac and drove to Pullman.

And when their weekend was done, the big defensive line coach drove them back to Sea-Tac. Round trip, we’re talking close to 600 miles and more than nine hours.

Making good on his threat made over the weekend, Gov. Togiola Tulafono has sent to the Fono legislation that seeks to repeal the law that established the American Samoa Medical Center Authority and return the LBJ Medical Center to the jurisdiction of the ASG Department of Health.

On his weekend radio program, Togiola said that if the hospital went ahead with the fee hikes (that went into effect at 8 a.m. yesterday) he would send a bill to the Fono to dissolve the hospital authority and return LBJ to the government.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, satellite images showed an active monsoonal trough over the islands of American Samoa, and tropical cyclone Cyril located about 420 nautical miles south of Tutuila, according to the National Weather Service in Tafuna.

Weather Service officials said yesterday that the cyclone has moved away from the Tongan islands heading southeast, and was expected to diminish sometime last night, while the monsoon trough would remain over the islands last night and today.

Senate President Gaoteote Tofau Palaie has disputed Gov. Togiola Tulafono’s claim that the Fono is holding off on approving administration bills, which would address financial needs of the LBJ Medical Center.

Members of the public are furious and disappointed with the LBJ hospital’s new fees. It is now $50 for any outpatient visit, $40 for each prescription, $250 for dialysis patients per visit, and admission to any ward is $100 per day, except the Intensive Care Unit which costs $200 per day.

When Samoa News arrived at the pharmacy yesterday morning, a man in his 40’s was at the window complaining, saying that he cannot afford to pay the new fees.

The federal court in Washington D.C. granted a “protective order” barring Sanford Limited from making public financial information that Tri Marine International had voluntarily turned over to the U.S. Justice Department as part of the federal government’s case against Sanford Limited.

Three former crew members from the fishing vessel San Nikunau are now seeking refuge in the U.S. for fear of retaliation.

By Deeds of Cession, our forefathers ceded our islands — Tutuila and Manu’a — in 1900 and 1904 respectively. In 1902 and 1904, the President of the US formerly recognized the deeds of cession, and the Congress followed suit in 1929.

The US was not prepared to be responsible for the newly acquired territory. The delayed recognition of AS (American Samoa) reflected the delayed and slow development of health care in AS.